Concerns have been raised over the future Weymouth Registration Office.

Dorset County Council is considering selling the building in Dorchester Road, it has emerged. Wedding bookings are only being taken until the end of August 2019.

The service was threatened with closure under proposals announced in 2016 but a public outcry forced a rethink. But new proposals have now come forward.

Paul Leivers, Dorset County Council’s assistant director for early help and community services, stressed no decision had yet been made.

He added: “We are considering selling the current Weymouth Registration Office building, so are only taking wedding bookings up until the end of August 2019, while we consider alternative premises in Weymouth.

“There are many other licensed wedding venues in Weymouth where the council’s registrars conduct weddings and civil partnerships and these are not affected in any way.”

The building also houses an adult education centre, community resources team and a team from mental health charity Rethink.

If the building were to be sold off the same services will continue to be offered but at a different location.

However, borough councillor James Farquharson said the move was “not good enough” and “may stop some couples getting married altogether.”

He added: “It’s not good enough to just stop taking marriage bookings, with a vague promise that there will soon be an alternative venue.

“There are some lovely private wedding venues locally but they are all far more expensive than a council-run registration office.

“This closure may stop some couples getting married altogether, as they won’t be able to afford it.”

He added: “As the second largest urban area in Dorset, Weymouth and Portland needs a good-sized registration office so that local people on lower incomes can tie the knot within their own community.”

As previously reported, the council proposed closing the building in a bid to save money. It was part of a proposal to cut the number of offices where births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships can be registered from 11 to five.

The council was looking to sell it off as part of a ‘community offer’ which aimed to combine assets with other public sector bodies to create a comprehensive offering of services delivered out of key buildings across Dorset.

County councillor Clare Sutton previously led a campaign to save the office from closure.

She added: “I have always believed that the largest conurbation in Dorset with the lowest levels of car ownership and lowest incomes needs a local registration office. I would rigorously oppose any proposals to remove a registration service from Weymouth.”